Some Legends Are Told

Chapter 5

Patricius screamed in pain as his superior whipped him another time, adding a big wound on his back. Blood was flowing from the wounds on his back and slowly made its way down and dripped on the floor, making a small puddle of blood under him. Sweat was starting to appear on Patricius' face, his breathing was shaky and his knees were weak. Soon, only the chains attached to his wrists were able to support him.

"Come on Patricius, be strong. It'll be over soon." His superior said.
The soldier took all the strength he had left to straighten his posture. He heaved a long sigh and greeted his teeth.
The man tightened his grip on the whip and whipped Patricius' back again. This time, the soldier didn't scream but winced in pain, his legs were still supporting him.
The man whipped him another time and Patricius was still up.
The man, seeing that the soldier was still up on his feet and seemed to be strong against what he was doing, whipped again, this time harder.
Patricius couldn't support this stroke and screamed again. His legs couldn't support him anymore and he fell to the ground on his knees, the chains kept him up a little bit.

"I think he had enough." The man said.
The two other soldiers ran to Patricius and detached his wrists. The soldier fell to the ground.
"Leave me alone with him." His superior ordered.
The soldiers left the room. The man walked over to Patricius and kneeled next to him and put a hand on the soldier's shoulder, "I'm sorry for that, but I had to do it."
Patricius nodded in understanding.
"Do you want to see my daughter?" He asked.
The soldier looked up to the man, "Can I?"
His superior stoop us and hem out his hand.
Patricius took it and with the man of the older man, stood up.
The man put Patricius' arm over his shoulder and helped him walk to the infirmary, where his daughter Elisa worked.

Once in front of the door of the infirmary, Elisa's dad pushed door open and entered with Patricius in his arms.
He walked over to a bed and sand the soldier there.
"I'm going to ask her to come." He said.
He left and a few minutes later, Elisa arrived.
"Oh Patricius, let me see." She said as she walked behind the soldier. She picked up a bowl with water in it and a piece of tissue.
She damp the tissue in the water and put it against Patricius' back.
The soldier winced in pain, "I'm sorry." She said.
"That's okay, I deserve it." Patricius said through greeted teeth.
"No you don't deserve it. You just helped your friends getting in this party."
"I deserve it for all the times I helped them doing bad stuff and that I never got caught."
"It wasn't the first time?" She asked, still cleaning his wounds.
"No, I always help them." The soldier confessed.
"You should stop. What if one day they find out and they decide to kill you."
"Then they'll kill me. I can't stop helping them, they're my best friends. Even though I know it's really dangerous for me to help them, I always do it."
Elisa places her hands on Patricius's shoulder and made him turn to face her.
He looked at her in the eyes, "I'm really sorry."
"It's okay, I understand. But be safe next time you try to help them. I don't want to loose my future husband." They leaned closer to each other and kissed.
"I promise I'll be safe."